Good morning, EEL families! My post is short and sweet this week.
Your EEL guide continues to deepen our understanding of the English language with a thorough review of verbs. Use Lesson 19 as you see fit; back up to previous material if you need to. Continue parsing, diagramming and modifying at your child's level. Work on those verb anatomy charts if you can.
We decided to leave our IEW critique assignment at three weeks. Thus, the only writing the kids are responsible for this week is a rough draft paragraph of their conclusions. We'll revise and polish next week. If they need help figuring out how to write their opinions without using the words "I" or "you" or "my," the book gives suggestions and there may be additional help in the online IEW resource notebook.
It's so hard to believe, but we've only five weeks left in our EEL year! Amazing. Thanks for sharing your kids along the way.
Erin
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Week 18: Practice, review and master what you've learned.
Hi, everyone. What a great group of moms and students we have at Westside! It was just a joy to be back among the living today. I missed you all last week!
After a cursory review of adjectives, we devoted most of our EEL time to a fun (at least I liked it...) review of our sentence structures, purposes and patterns. I didn't get to inspect each student's paper for correctness, but we did go over the answers in class. You might want to inquire at home as to how they did on their own. It may help you discover which sentence patterns come easily to them at this point and which they find more challenging.
We also celebrated the fact that we've covered all 18 weeks of memory work. From here on out, it's just review, review, review. Yahoo!
This is the point in the year when each mom needs to evaluate her student's progress in the curriculum. Nearly all of the kids will be at a different point. The next six weeks in class will carry us back to familiar material but take us to a deeper level with that material. To give an example, we'll review verbs next week but go deeper with our charts and forms than we have before. I want to spend some QeQ time in class as well. You'll have to decide how best to invest your time at home: do you need to stick with reviewing the basics (first- and some second-year students) or should you press forward for deeper understanding (some second-year and most rising Challenge A students)?
As far as the sentences you actually use for practice, you can select from your EEL guide or any other place. One of my favorite things to do at home is use whatever literature we're reading at the time. I choose sentences appropriate to Rachel's level and dictate them for spelling and mechanics practice. Then we label and diagram them and, as time allows, modify them. This week, I hope to begin QeQing them, too. Even one sentence a day can result in much progress.
What I'm saying is that it's perfectly fine if what we do in class either goes much deeper than what you practice at home or looks different than what you're working through at home. My desire is that each family finish the EEL year strong for each particular child.
Moving on to IEW, I handed out Lesson 19a, the first of three lessons in a three-week project. Level A assigns a three-paragraph critique on "Ghenghis Khan and His Hawk," whereas Level B assigns five paragraphs. This week's assignment is either two or three rough draft graphs, depending on the level. We completed the Level A outline in class, and Level B students only need a little more information in order to finish their outlines. We also looked at the example Level A critique included in Lesson 20. We'll look at the Level B example (also in Lesson 20) next week in class. In the meantime, let me know if you have questions regarding the assignment.
Enjoy a warm and wonderful week!
Erin
After a cursory review of adjectives, we devoted most of our EEL time to a fun (at least I liked it...) review of our sentence structures, purposes and patterns. I didn't get to inspect each student's paper for correctness, but we did go over the answers in class. You might want to inquire at home as to how they did on their own. It may help you discover which sentence patterns come easily to them at this point and which they find more challenging.
We also celebrated the fact that we've covered all 18 weeks of memory work. From here on out, it's just review, review, review. Yahoo!
This is the point in the year when each mom needs to evaluate her student's progress in the curriculum. Nearly all of the kids will be at a different point. The next six weeks in class will carry us back to familiar material but take us to a deeper level with that material. To give an example, we'll review verbs next week but go deeper with our charts and forms than we have before. I want to spend some QeQ time in class as well. You'll have to decide how best to invest your time at home: do you need to stick with reviewing the basics (first- and some second-year students) or should you press forward for deeper understanding (some second-year and most rising Challenge A students)?
As far as the sentences you actually use for practice, you can select from your EEL guide or any other place. One of my favorite things to do at home is use whatever literature we're reading at the time. I choose sentences appropriate to Rachel's level and dictate them for spelling and mechanics practice. Then we label and diagram them and, as time allows, modify them. This week, I hope to begin QeQing them, too. Even one sentence a day can result in much progress.
What I'm saying is that it's perfectly fine if what we do in class either goes much deeper than what you practice at home or looks different than what you're working through at home. My desire is that each family finish the EEL year strong for each particular child.
Moving on to IEW, I handed out Lesson 19a, the first of three lessons in a three-week project. Level A assigns a three-paragraph critique on "Ghenghis Khan and His Hawk," whereas Level B assigns five paragraphs. This week's assignment is either two or three rough draft graphs, depending on the level. We completed the Level A outline in class, and Level B students only need a little more information in order to finish their outlines. We also looked at the example Level A critique included in Lesson 20. We'll look at the Level B example (also in Lesson 20) next week in class. In the meantime, let me know if you have questions regarding the assignment.
Enjoy a warm and wonderful week!
Erin
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Week 17: Sickness on Essentials days makes your tutor unhappy!
Dear students and moms,
I'm so sorry not to have been there today. I went to bed fine last night but woke up this morning feeling horrible -- fever, chills, aches, congestion, the works. But I'm glad the kids were able to sit in under Ivey, and I hope everyone received the IEW lesson and vocabulary I sent.
Needless to say, this post will be short so I can go back to bed. :)
Here are the EEL sentences I'd planned to use in class today to illustrate our seventh and final sentence pattern, S-Vt-DO-OCA:
I'm so sorry not to have been there today. I went to bed fine last night but woke up this morning feeling horrible -- fever, chills, aches, congestion, the works. But I'm glad the kids were able to sit in under Ivey, and I hope everyone received the IEW lesson and vocabulary I sent.
Needless to say, this post will be short so I can go back to bed. :)
Here are the EEL sentences I'd planned to use in class today to illustrate our seventh and final sentence pattern, S-Vt-DO-OCA:
- Maggie painted the walls of her room blue.
- The excellent science fair projects made competition for first prize stiff.
- Jesus calls me holy.
- The campaign declared the election successful.
- The students' perfect behavior made their teacher happy.
- Jack found the roller coaster exhilarating.
You can use these, or the ones from the guide, or your own at home this week for practice and diagramming. I'd also suggest modifying a couple by changing them from simple to complex and then diagramming again.
The other thing I'd planned to cover in EEL was an adjective review. We were going to look at descriptive, limiting and possessive adjectives, as well as adjectives of degree (positive, comparative, superlative.) Consult your guides and the associated charts for good information.
The IEW assignment, Lesson 18, is a ONE-WEEK assignment. Level A students may retell their story in one paragraph; Level B assigns three graphs. The idea is for the kids to take a fairytale, recast it with characters from the Middle Ages, and rewrite in their own words. I made up a sheet and photocopied it into the lesson that suggests additional fairytales the kids could use and also some character possibilities. Please note my suggestion that, if the assignment to change characters is blowing their brains, just rewrite the fairytale "as is" without any character alterations. Keep it simple. I'd rather have them writing confidently than stumbling over a blank page.
IEW does introduce www.asia.b clauses this week, both as sentence openers and as dress-ups in a sentence. We've already covered them in EEL, but please point out the change to the kids as they write so they're not surprised when it comes to their checklists.
OK. I hope and pray to see everyone next week.
Erin
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Week 16: I call this class a smart group of students!
Good morning! I feel like I need to apologize for my brain power yesterday. I felt completely muddled at times -- pregnancy brain, I suppose, but frustrating nonetheless. I hope the kids didn't leave completely confused about object complement nouns!
I did introduce our sixth sentence pattern yesterday: S-Vt-DO-OCN. We looked at and labeled several sentences together. We modified them by changing either our sentence structure to complex or our sentence purpose to interrogative, imperative or exclamatory. We also learned how to diagram this newest sentence pattern. At home this week, keep reviewing memory work and begin practicing your OCN sentences. Pretty simple!
Thankfully, IEW is simple, too. Complete Lesson 16 from last week and Lesson 17, which I distributed yesterday, for a finished paper on "The Sword in the Stone." We learned a new decoration: the simile, which compares one thing to another using "like" or "as." Examples would be "hard as a rock" or "gentle as a lamb." And though they aren't included in the lesson, I also discussed metaphors, which call one thing another thing, such as "God is my rock," or "America is a melting pot." The kids can choose among these when adding decorations this week.
If you completed two KWOs and two rough draft paragraphs last week, your IEW assignment this week is to complete your third KWO and rough draft graph, then revise and polish your paper and complete your final checklist. The dress ups and decorations are what will really distinguish one student's paper from another with this assignment, so work diligently in this area!
Thanks. Have a wonderful week at home together. Let me know if you have questions.
Erin
I did introduce our sixth sentence pattern yesterday: S-Vt-DO-OCN. We looked at and labeled several sentences together. We modified them by changing either our sentence structure to complex or our sentence purpose to interrogative, imperative or exclamatory. We also learned how to diagram this newest sentence pattern. At home this week, keep reviewing memory work and begin practicing your OCN sentences. Pretty simple!
Thankfully, IEW is simple, too. Complete Lesson 16 from last week and Lesson 17, which I distributed yesterday, for a finished paper on "The Sword in the Stone." We learned a new decoration: the simile, which compares one thing to another using "like" or "as." Examples would be "hard as a rock" or "gentle as a lamb." And though they aren't included in the lesson, I also discussed metaphors, which call one thing another thing, such as "God is my rock," or "America is a melting pot." The kids can choose among these when adding decorations this week.
If you completed two KWOs and two rough draft paragraphs last week, your IEW assignment this week is to complete your third KWO and rough draft graph, then revise and polish your paper and complete your final checklist. The dress ups and decorations are what will really distinguish one student's paper from another with this assignment, so work diligently in this area!
Thanks. Have a wonderful week at home together. Let me know if you have questions.
Erin
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Week 15: While you're home, keep asking yourselves complex EEL questions!
Sorry for the late post, moms! It's just been one of those days...
During class yesterday, we diagrammed interjections and complex S-VT-IO-DO sentences. I thought the kids did really well. I showed them the QeQ sheet the guide introduces this week but told them we won't spend any time on it until probably weeks 19-24. QeQ is quite fun; it's like puzzle-solving, so the kids usually take to it with good spirits.
Keep working to identify and diagram those complex sentences using all five of our sentences patterns to date!
IEW requires a bit more explanation this week. We began Lesson 16 yesterday, which uses the "The Sword in the Stone" to teach the story sequence. Basically, the lesson asks the kids to rewrite this story in their own words by breaking it into three sections and asking them to key word outline. The lesson itself is lengthy -- 12 pages -- but don't let it overwhelm you. There's nothing unusual besides its length. Just read the details.
As far as our tackling of it, here's what I think we can do:
At home this week, outline and rough draft Sections 1 and II. You'll find Section I on pages 108 and 109 and Section II on pages 112 and 113. In between, you'll see a brainstorming page for Section 1 (p. 110) and a Level B page on adding conversation to a story (p. 111). There's also a brainstorming page for Section II on page 114. Use those as you see fit.
NEXT week, we'll outline and rough draft Section III (pp. 115-117) and use Lesson 17, which I'll distribute in class next week, to revise and complete our final papers and checklist. If anyone wants to work ahead by outlining and/or drafting Section III this week, go for it. You'll have more time to polish next week.
The following week will be a challenge week to see if the kids can rewrite a three-paragraph story in just one week. Look ahead to Lesson 18 to get a feel for this assignment. ANY FAMILY WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEND THREE WEEKS ON LESSONS 16 AND 17, THUS SKIPPING LESSON 18, HAS THE OPTION TO DO SO. Having said that, I think it would be beneficial for those planning to enroll in Challenge A next year to complete the King Arthur assignment in two weeks and the Lesson 18 assignment in one week. They will be responsible for writing multiple paragraphs per week next year, and this assignment would be a good preview of that.
I'm praying for a great week for you all. Don't hesitate to ask if you need me.
Erin
During class yesterday, we diagrammed interjections and complex S-VT-IO-DO sentences. I thought the kids did really well. I showed them the QeQ sheet the guide introduces this week but told them we won't spend any time on it until probably weeks 19-24. QeQ is quite fun; it's like puzzle-solving, so the kids usually take to it with good spirits.
Keep working to identify and diagram those complex sentences using all five of our sentences patterns to date!
IEW requires a bit more explanation this week. We began Lesson 16 yesterday, which uses the "The Sword in the Stone" to teach the story sequence. Basically, the lesson asks the kids to rewrite this story in their own words by breaking it into three sections and asking them to key word outline. The lesson itself is lengthy -- 12 pages -- but don't let it overwhelm you. There's nothing unusual besides its length. Just read the details.
As far as our tackling of it, here's what I think we can do:
At home this week, outline and rough draft Sections 1 and II. You'll find Section I on pages 108 and 109 and Section II on pages 112 and 113. In between, you'll see a brainstorming page for Section 1 (p. 110) and a Level B page on adding conversation to a story (p. 111). There's also a brainstorming page for Section II on page 114. Use those as you see fit.
NEXT week, we'll outline and rough draft Section III (pp. 115-117) and use Lesson 17, which I'll distribute in class next week, to revise and complete our final papers and checklist. If anyone wants to work ahead by outlining and/or drafting Section III this week, go for it. You'll have more time to polish next week.
The following week will be a challenge week to see if the kids can rewrite a three-paragraph story in just one week. Look ahead to Lesson 18 to get a feel for this assignment. ANY FAMILY WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEND THREE WEEKS ON LESSONS 16 AND 17, THUS SKIPPING LESSON 18, HAS THE OPTION TO DO SO. Having said that, I think it would be beneficial for those planning to enroll in Challenge A next year to complete the King Arthur assignment in two weeks and the Lesson 18 assignment in one week. They will be responsible for writing multiple paragraphs per week next year, and this assignment would be a good preview of that.
I'm praying for a great week for you all. Don't hesitate to ask if you need me.
Erin
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Week 14: Finish writing me a fantastic story from pictures!
What a superb Essentials class yesterday! I am so pleased with all the kids are learning. Parents, your children are rising up to call you blessed. Thank you for the time you invest in them at home each week. Even if no one else sees it, our heavenly Father smiles on your work day in and day out!
During EEL, we reviewed what we've learned about clauses, discussed active and passive voice verbs, then moved into S-Vt-IO-DO sentences. Continue reviewing those subordinating conjunction and relative pronoun lists this week in addition to working on indirect objects. Practice constructing complex sentences by taking a simple sentence, choosing either a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun, and adding a dependent clause that begins with that conjunction or pronoun. Next week in class, we will spend a lot of time diagramming complex S-Vt-IO-DO sentences. Fun, fun, fun!
We spent our IEW time learning about the two decorations assigned for their stories: alliteration and conversation. Punctuating conversation can be tricky. Keep working with them at home as opportunity allows!
The IEW assignment for Lesson 14, however, is pretty straightforward. The kids need to finish their stories, complete the Level B checklist, and turn it all in to me on Tuesday. Revise and polish one paragraph per day, perhaps, then complete the checklist on Monday. I do have a couple of pointers:
During EEL, we reviewed what we've learned about clauses, discussed active and passive voice verbs, then moved into S-Vt-IO-DO sentences. Continue reviewing those subordinating conjunction and relative pronoun lists this week in addition to working on indirect objects. Practice constructing complex sentences by taking a simple sentence, choosing either a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun, and adding a dependent clause that begins with that conjunction or pronoun. Next week in class, we will spend a lot of time diagramming complex S-Vt-IO-DO sentences. Fun, fun, fun!
We spent our IEW time learning about the two decorations assigned for their stories: alliteration and conversation. Punctuating conversation can be tricky. Keep working with them at home as opportunity allows!
The IEW assignment for Lesson 14, however, is pretty straightforward. The kids need to finish their stories, complete the Level B checklist, and turn it all in to me on Tuesday. Revise and polish one paragraph per day, perhaps, then complete the checklist on Monday. I do have a couple of pointers:
- We looked at an example story from IEW's Structure & Style guide yesterday that well demonstrates how to capture a picture's central fact in both the topic and clincher sentence of a paragraph. While this sounds easy, it can be difficult. Help your students by suggesting ideas if they need them this week.
- All of our dress-ups and decorations in the checklists are great tools for improving our writing, but it's okay to leave one out of a paragraph every now and then! If students like their paragraphs as is, and you know they've worked hard to produce excellent writing, tell them it's all right to skip that missing adjective or -ly this time! A well-written story is more important than 2 points on a checklist.
- Encourage them to read aloud as they write. Reading aloud often helps us discover what flows and what doesn't. When all three paragraphs are complete, hopefully on Friday, ask them to read aloud to an audience. It will give them time to make final changes and will make for a stronger presentation in class on Tuesday.
Have an outstanding week! Please call or email if you have questions.
Erin
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Week 13: Although they can be tough, complex sentences make life interesting.
It was great to see everyone this afternoon, and we heartily welcome Matthew and his family to Greensboro and our CC family at Westside!
As usual, our two hours flew faster than I was able to squeeze in all the important and pertinent information of the day. Only on Tuesdays during Essentials am I jealous of the teachers who have their students for five hours a week per subject! I have to remember that I am the facilitator, and you moms are your kids' teachers at home! And I really wouldn't want it any other way... :)
So during your multiple hours of EEL study at home this week, focus on complex sentences. Lesson 13 introduces both complex sentences AND indirect objects, but we merely skimmed the surface of IOs today. We spent most of our time diving into dependent clauses. As I told the kids in class, we will camp several more weeks with our complex sentence structure and two more weeks with our S-Vt-IO-DO sentence pattern. If you'll devote your time at home this week to the complex sentence structure, we'll spend the next two weeks at home with indirect objects, both identifying and diagramming, before moving onto our next sentence pattern.
In particular with regard to complex sentences, the kids should know the following:
Onto IEW, we made our switch to creative writing today. Our first assignment is Lesson 14, Writing from Pictures. The kids should have great fun with this two-week, three-paragraph story they will write from the pictures given in the lesson. I allow the kids significant creative license here. As long as their central facts and clinchers capture what's depicted in the sketches, I don't care if the character is a gerbil genie, a carpet seller, or an enchanted pizza chef. Their imaginations are so fertile that I can't make them stay in the box of "Aladdin and the Lamp." This assignment last year produced AMAZING stories. We laughed til we cried, and I don't want to stifle those fresh eyes and minds.
Because it's a two-week assignment, I want the kids complete their KWOs and three rough draft paragraphs this week. Next week, they can brainstorm dress-ups and decorations, polish their finals, and complete the Level B checklist, all of which should be turned in two weeks from today, January 18. Also, we touched on five senses adjectives and emotions in class today, but next week, I will go over the two decorations on the checklist -- alliteration and conversation -- and will give the IEW style charts to those who do not have them.
Lastly, our math time this afternoon got squeezed by heavy EEL and IEW material and the exploding trashcan experiment out in the parking lot -- all good and worthy stuff. However, next week, I'll look to spend our full 30 minutes on math games and drill. Just FYI. :)
As always, thank you for sharing your precious children with me on Tuesdays. They are like a breath of fresh air every week. PLEASE let me know if you have questions. I pray you have a super time learning together at home these next few days!
Erin
As usual, our two hours flew faster than I was able to squeeze in all the important and pertinent information of the day. Only on Tuesdays during Essentials am I jealous of the teachers who have their students for five hours a week per subject! I have to remember that I am the facilitator, and you moms are your kids' teachers at home! And I really wouldn't want it any other way... :)
So during your multiple hours of EEL study at home this week, focus on complex sentences. Lesson 13 introduces both complex sentences AND indirect objects, but we merely skimmed the surface of IOs today. We spent most of our time diving into dependent clauses. As I told the kids in class, we will camp several more weeks with our complex sentence structure and two more weeks with our S-Vt-IO-DO sentence pattern. If you'll devote your time at home this week to the complex sentence structure, we'll spend the next two weeks at home with indirect objects, both identifying and diagramming, before moving onto our next sentence pattern.
In particular with regard to complex sentences, the kids should know the following:
- The difference between a phrase and a clause
- The difference between an independent clause and a dependent clause
- What changes a simple sentence to a complex sentence (Hint: phrases do not!)
- How to recognize dependent clauses in a sentence (Study those relative pronoun and subordinating conjunction lists.)
- How to identify dependent clauses as adverbial or adjectival
Onto IEW, we made our switch to creative writing today. Our first assignment is Lesson 14, Writing from Pictures. The kids should have great fun with this two-week, three-paragraph story they will write from the pictures given in the lesson. I allow the kids significant creative license here. As long as their central facts and clinchers capture what's depicted in the sketches, I don't care if the character is a gerbil genie, a carpet seller, or an enchanted pizza chef. Their imaginations are so fertile that I can't make them stay in the box of "Aladdin and the Lamp." This assignment last year produced AMAZING stories. We laughed til we cried, and I don't want to stifle those fresh eyes and minds.
Because it's a two-week assignment, I want the kids complete their KWOs and three rough draft paragraphs this week. Next week, they can brainstorm dress-ups and decorations, polish their finals, and complete the Level B checklist, all of which should be turned in two weeks from today, January 18. Also, we touched on five senses adjectives and emotions in class today, but next week, I will go over the two decorations on the checklist -- alliteration and conversation -- and will give the IEW style charts to those who do not have them.
Lastly, our math time this afternoon got squeezed by heavy EEL and IEW material and the exploding trashcan experiment out in the parking lot -- all good and worthy stuff. However, next week, I'll look to spend our full 30 minutes on math games and drill. Just FYI. :)
As always, thank you for sharing your precious children with me on Tuesdays. They are like a breath of fresh air every week. PLEASE let me know if you have questions. I pray you have a super time learning together at home these next few days!
Erin
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